Wednesday, October 17, 2012

BARDA Announces CBRN Medical Countermeasures Conference

The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA)
has announced an upcoming conference for industry to learn more about
U.S. government medical countermeasure requirements, interact with
BARDA, and network with other private sector colleagues. The event will
take place Oct. 29-31 in Washington, D.C.

HHS Announces Pandemic Preparedness Contracts to Top Pharma

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has taken
historic steps to support the nation’s pandemic preparedness efforts by
awarding three-year contracts to five U.S.-licensed influenza vaccine
manufacturers to produce master vaccine seed stocks for viruses with
pandemic potential.

The effort allows HHS to purchase cell-based vaccine in addition to
conventional egg-based vaccine. Cell-based vaccine production could more
easily meet surge capacity needs because cells could be frozen and
stored in advance of an epidemic, or developed rapidly in response to an
epidemic. This option may assist HHS in providing more pandemic
influenza vaccine sooner.
The contracts also support clinical trials and stockpiling of vaccine
and adjuvants, enabling HHS to respond quickly to flu outbreaks and
pandemics. Although current licensed seasonal flu vaccines do not
contain adjuvants, clinical trials using adjuvants is an important part
of pandemic preparedness, according to HHS. Adjuvants can be added to
influenza vaccine to lower the amount of the active ingredient needed
for the vaccine to produce an immune system response. Adding adjuvant
results in more doses of vaccine being available during a pandemic.
Initially HHS will commit a total of $4.4 million for the companies
to produce master vaccine seed stocks and $7.3 million for the companies
to store pre-pandemic vaccines.
“These contracts build on the lessons learned from the 2009 H1N1
pandemic and nearly a decade of stockpiling avian flu vaccines,” stated BARDA
Director Robin Robinson, Ph.D. “The increased national manufacturing
capacity for pandemic influenza vaccines afforded by this effort is
derived from successful public-private partnerships resulting in more
U.S.-based vaccine manufacturing facilities and innovative vaccine
technologies.”
The award was made under Solicitation Number: 11-100-SOL-00020.